Automatic transmitting device for metal casting



P 1968 TOSHIO WATANABE 3,400,862

AUTOMATIC TRANSMITTING DEVICE FOR METAL CASTING Filed April [5, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet l S p 1968 TOSHIO WATANABE AUTOMATIC TRANSMITTING DEVICE FOR METAL CASTING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 5. 1967 U w I /////A h United States Patent AUTOMATIC TRANSMITTING DEVICE FOR METAL CASTING Toshio Watanabe, Yono, Japan, assignor to Furukawa Casting Company, Limited, Kawasaki, Japan Filed Apr. 3, 1967, Ser. No. 627,710

Claims priority, application Japan, Apr. 8, 1966,

41/ 21,871 Claims. (Cl. 222-333) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An automatic device for pouring molten metal into a pouring basin, wherein a lever having a ladle pivotally connected thereto is reciprocated by a driving means along an inverse-Y-shaped guide means, thereby the ladle is dipped in a molten metal bath for ladling molten metal when the lever is at one side lower end of the guide means and the ladle is transported to the pouring basin as the lever is moved along the guide means to the other side lower end of the guide means for pouring the molten metal thereto.

This invention relates to an automatic transmitting device for metal casting, more particularly to an automatic transmitting device for ladling molten metal from a molten metal bath in a holding furnace and transporting and pouring the molten metal thus ladled into a molten metal receiving port of casting device, such as a runner of a mould or plunger sleeve slots of die casting machine in an efficient and safe manner.

Conventional casting process which has been heretofore used comprises ladling of the molten metal from a crucible, and transporting the molten metal thus ladled to the pouring basin of a casting or moulding device by a crane, a hoist, or human labor. What is meant by the words pouring basin is any molten metal receiving port of casting device, such as a runner of a mould or plunger sleeve slot of die casting machine. Such conventional process has disadvantages in that the efliciency of the process is low and the molten metal is sometimes spilt from the ladle during the transportation thereof.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an easily operable automatic device of simple construction for pouring molten metal into pouring basins without causing any spilling of the molten metal.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic device for pouring, in which the quantity of molten metal to be drawn into a ladle is controllable.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an automatic device for pouring, in which the molten metal is automatically poured into the pouring basin.

According to the present invention, there is provided an automatic device for ladling, transporting and pouring molten metal from a molten metal bath to the pouring basin, which comprises a support framework having an inverse-Y-shaped guide means including an upright portion and two inclined leg portions extending from the lower end of the upright portion substantially in opposite directions, a loop-chain driven by a motor so as to be reciprocated along the two inclined leg portions of the guide means, a ladle pivotally connected to the lower end of a long lever, and a pair of slider elements secured to the upper end of the long lever and slida'bly engaged with said guide means, said slider elements consisting of a first slider element secured to the tip of the long lever and a second slider element spaced from said first slider element along the longitudinal direction of the long lever by a distance shorter than the length of said upright portion of the guide means, said loop-chain ice being secured to said long lever so as to move the long lever from the lower end of one inclined leg portion to the lower end of the other inclined leg portion and vice versa through the upper portion of the guide means responsive to the reciprocation of the loop-chain, so that the ladle is dipped in a bath of molten metal when the lever is at the lower end of said one inclined leg portion and the ladle is transferred toward a casting device, such as a mould or a casting machine, for pouring the molten metal responsive to the movement of the lever to the lower end of said other inclined leg portion.

In the device of the invention, it is preferable to form the bottom of the ladle at an angular relation, other than at right angles, with the axial centre line of the ladle, in order to facilitate drawing of the molten metal into the ladle, as will be described hereinafter.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the amount of molten metal to be drawn into the ladle can be controlled by dipping the ladle in the molten metal bath by a certain predetermined depth. Such con trol of the dipping depth of the ladle can be accomplished by providing an electric conductor rod, such as a graphite or copper rod, secured to the long lever, which conductor rod is connected to an electric control circuit including a relay energizable responsive to establishment of electrical contact bet-ween the molten metal and the conductor rod secured to the long lever.

To ensure effective pouring of the molten metal into a pouring basin, it is possible to provide a stopper in the proximity of the pouring basin, so that as the ladle is approached to the pouring basin, the translational movement of the ladle is stopped by the stopper and the ladle is turned over for pouring the molten metal therein responsive to further movement of the long lever.

Furthermore, the device of the present invention can be easily adapted to pour molten metal into a pouring basin located at an arbitrary height within a certain range by swaying the framework in a suitable manner so as to vary the slope of the aforementioned other inclined portion of the guide means. For instance, the framework can be supported by a pair of stud means consisting of a stud means pivotally connected to the base structure of the framework and another stud means connected to the base structure through jack in such a manner that the vertical position of the other stud means can be adjusted by the jack.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of an automatic device for pouring molten metal into a pouring basin according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the automatic transmitting device illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line III-III of FIG. 1.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the reference numeral 1 designates a vertical framework, which is preferably made of a pair of narrowly spaced parallel plates, which are bonded together by stay bolts 2. A guide means 3 in this particular embodiment consists of a inverse-Y-shaped groove and a cooperating slot formed in parallel on the parallel plates of the framework. The inverse-R-shaped guide means 3 can be made, for instance, in the form of a slot or groove of suitable pattern bored on one or both plates of the framework, or it can be made of rails of desired pattern secured to the framework. A loop-chain 4 is mounted along the lower portion of the guide means 3 and engaged with sprockets 5, so that the chain can be driven by a driving motor 6 through a suitable shaft means. A tension means 7 including a weight is provided to give proper tension to the loop-chain 4. A ladle 10 is pivotally connected to the lower end of a long lever 8 adapted to be moved along the guide means 3 by means of a pair of slider pins 9, 9' secured to the upper end of the lever. Both slider pins are slidably engaged with the guide means 3, and one slider pin 9 is secured to the tip end of the lever 8, while the other slider pin 9' is secured to the lever 8 with a suitable space from the slider pin 9.

The inverse-Y-shaped guide means 3 includes an upright upper portion 3a and a pair of leg portions 312 and 3c issuing from the lower end of the upright portion 3a and extending in opposite directions with certain inclinations. The effective length of the upright slot portion 3a should be slightly longer than the distance between the slider pins 9, 9' secured at the upper end of the lever 8.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the figures, an inverse-Y-shaped guide groove is bored on one plate, say 1b, of the framework 1 in the aforesaid manner, while an identical inverse-Y-shaped groove is formed on the other plate, say 1a, of the framework 1 so as to face with said groove of said one plate. The two leg portions 3b and 3c of the guide groove on said other plate of the framework are made in the form of slots penetrating through the plate and said leg portions are communicated each other by a by-pass slot 3d, as shown by solid lines in FIG. 1. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the vertical distance between the upper end of the upright portion 3a of the inverse-Ysh-aped groove and the by-pass slot 3d should be longer than the space between the two slider p'ins 9, 9'. As shown in FIG. 3, the slider pin 9 secured to the tip end of the lever is extended on both sides of the long lever 8 and slidably engaged with the guide grooves on both plates 1a and 1b. The other slider pin 9 should be slidably engaged with the guide groove on the plate 1]; on the one hand. On the other hand, the opposite end of the slider pin 9 should be slidably fitted to the guide slot on the plate 1a consisting of inclined leg portions 3b and 30 connected each other through the by-pass portion 3d.

It is preferable to bend the inclined leg portion 3c at an intermediate point thereof so that the slope of the lower part thereof can be reduced, and in fact, the lower part can be made horizontal, if so desired.

The long lever 8 is pivotally connected to the loopchain 4 at a suitable point thereof in such a manner that the lever can be moved together with the loopchain 4.

The ladle 10 is of a truncated cone shape and has a bottom which is slightly slanted with respect to the axial centre line thereof. The ladle 10 is pivotally connected to the lower end of the long lever 8, and the slant of the bottom is so selected that when the ladle is dipped into a bath of molten metal, the centre of the buoyancy acting on the ladle is offset from the supporting point of the ladle to produce a moment around the supporting point of the ladle so as to turn over the ladle through a slag layer on the surface of the molten metal bath and draw fresh molten metal into the ladle in an automatic manner.

An electric conductor rod 11 is secured to the long lever 8 substantially in parallel therewith but electrically insulated therefrom. In order to ensure that a certain predetermined amount of molten metal is drawn into the ladle each time the ladle is dipped in the molten metal bath, there is provided a control relay circuit 13, which traces from the earth, through a power source E, a relay 26, a stationary electric contact 14, a moving contact 15, the electric conductor rod 11, and the molten metal, back to the earth. The moving contact 15 bonded to the electric conductor rod 11 is adapted to be kept in contact with the stationary electrical contact 14 when the long lever 8 is moving at the lower part of the leg portion 3b of the guide means 3, and hence, upon establishment of electrical contact between the lower edge of the electric conductor rod 11 and the upper surface of the molten metal bath, a current flows through the circuit 13 and accordingly through the relay 26. The relay 26 is so designed as to interrupt the power circuit of the motor 6 when it is energized to stop the movement of the loop-chain 4 and the lever 8. It is apparent that by securing the lower edge of the rod 11 in a certain spaced relation, the extent to which the ladle is dipped into the molten metal bath is kept constant. Thus, the amount of the molten metal drawn into the ladle is made constant for each ladling, and the quantity of the molten metal poured in the mould is also kept constant for each pouring.

In operation of the device of the present invention, if the motor 6 is energized when the ladling is completed, as shown in the figures, the loop-chain 4 is rotated in a clockwise direction to move the long lever 8 upwards along the leg portion 31) of the guide means until the upper slider pin 9 is fitted into the vertical portion 3a thereof and the lower slider pin is forced into the bypass portion 3d. As the loop-chain is further rotated in the clockwise direction, the slider pin 9 is moved substantially horizontally to let the ladle travel through the considerable portion of the horizontal distance between the crucible 12 and the pouring basin 16 of the mould, and then the ladle is moved through the remaining portion of said horizontal distance as the lever 8 is moved along the upper part of the leg portion 3c of the guide means 3. Finally, as the lever 8 is moved along the lower part of the leg portion 30, the ladle is descended toward the pouring basin 16. The trace of the above movement of the ladle 10 is shown by a double-dotsdash line in FIG. 1. The pouring basin 16 has a stopper 16', so that the side surface of the ladle 10 is stopped by the stopper 16' just prior to arrival at the very opening of the basin and the ladle is turned over as the lever is forced to move further downward for pouring the content of the ladle into the pouring basin.

There is provided a timer for driving the motor 6 in the reverse direction with a proper time delay after completion of the pouring. Thus, the ladle 10 is brought back to the ladling position through the same path as the travel to the pouring position but in opposite direction, and the device is made ready for another cycle of operation.

The device of the invention can be used for delivering the molten metal to a pouring basin of a plunger sleeve slot of a die casting machine. In FIG. 1, M represents the fixed die platen of a die casting machine and 25 shows one of tie bars securing the injection end of the die casting machine to the fixed die platen M, so that a plunger sleeve for transferring molten metal from the pouring basin to the die cavity of the fixed die is firmly secured to the fixed platen M. In some die casting machines, the casting basin 16 or a plunger sleeve slot is positioned considerably away from the front edge N of the fixed die platen M, and hence it has been difiicult to insert a ladle deep into the casting machine with conventional pouring means, because the tie bars present obstacles against free movement of such ladle in the injection end. According to the present invention, the delivery of the molten metal can be made by thrusting the ladle into the casting machine by extending a long lever 8. Since the total sectional area of the ladle and the long lever is comparatively small, such delivery of the molten metal can be successfully accomplished through a small clearance between adjacent tie bars. On the other hand, with conventional pouring means, say with a hoist, more clearance is necessary. Furthermore, by varying the inclination of the lower end part of the leg portion 30 of the guide means 3, the ladle 10 can be inserted into the casting machine through a suitable linear path by a considerable distance from the front end N thereof without being interfered by the tie bars 25. Thus, the automatic pouring device of the present invention can be used advantageously with any type casting machine.

In order to pour the molten metal into a pouring basin positioned at different heights, the pouring device of the invention is made swayable by supporting the framework 1 by a pair of stud means 17 and 18. The lower end of the stud means 17 is pivotally secured to a base 19, while the lower end of the other stud means 18 is pivotally connected to a raising lever 20. One end of the raising lever 20 is pivoted to the base 19, while the opposite end of the lever 20 is slidably fitted in vertical slit of a guide lever 21 and fastened to the lever in an disengageable manner. A jack 22 is provided to facilitate swaying of the raising lever 20 and accordingly swaying of the framework 1 to deliver the ladle 10 to a pouring basin 16 located at a high position.

In practical pouring device according to the invention, the crucible 12 is placed in a holding furnace 23, and a number of connectors 24 are provided to bridge across the slot of guide means 3 in order to compensate for mechanical weakness caused by the provision of the slots 3a to 3d. The connectors can be also used as guides of the loop-chain 4.

As described in the foregoing, according to the present invention, there is provided a device for pouring molten metal, in which both the ladling and pouring process of the molten metal can be conducted automatically by moving a ladle pivotally supported at the lower end of a long lever by means of switching back operation of a pair of slider pins planted at the upper end of the long lever, and the space necessary for installing the pouring device can be made very small by selecting proper path of moving the ladle. By selecting proper configuration of the ladle, it is made possible to ladle clean molten metal in a crucible by breaking a surface layer of oxides formed on the top of the bath without causing any wavy disturbance thereof. In the pouring device of the present invention, the amount of molten metal to be drawn into the ladle is made constant for each ladling, and the molten metal thus ladled can be poured automatically. Furthermore, with the pouring device of the present invention, the molten metal can be poured into pouring basin of plunger sleeves or the runner of moulds located at various heights, such as various runners of sand or metal moulds or plunger sleeve slots of die casting machines.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic device for ladling, transporting, and pouring molten metal from a molten metal bath to a pouring basin, comprising a support framework having an inverse-Y-shaped guide means including an upright portion and two inclined leg portions extending from the lower end of the upright portion substantially in opposite directions, a loop-chain driven by a motor so as to be reciprocated along the two inclined leg portions of the guide means, a ladle pivotally connected to the lower end of a long lever, and a pair of slider elements secured to upper end of the long lever and slidably engaged with said guide means, said slider elements consisting of a first slider element secured to the tip of the long lever and a second slider element spaced from said first slider element along the longitudinal direction of the long lever by a distance shorter than the length of said upright portion of the guide means, said loop-chain being secured to said long lever so as to move the long lever from the lower end of one inclined leg portion to the lower end of the other inclined leg portion and vice versa through the upper portion of the guide means responsive to the reciprocation of the loop-chain, so that the ladle is dipped in a bath of molten metal when the lever is at the lower end of said one inclined leg portion and the ladle is transferred toward a pouring basin for pouring the molten metal responsive to the movement of the lever to the lower end of said other inclined leg portion.

2. An automatic device for ladling, transporting, and pouring molten metal according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of the ladle is formed at an angular relation, other than at right angles, with the axial centre line of the ladle.

3. An automatic device for ladling, transporting, and pouring molten metal according to claim 1, wherein a conductor rod is secured to the long lever, which conductor rod is connected to an electric circuit including a relay energizable responsive to establishment of electrical contact between the molten metal and the conductor rod secured to the lever, so that the movement of said loopchain is controlled by said electric control circuit through adjusting the extent to which the ladle is dipped in the molten metal bath.

4. An automatic device for ladling, transporting and pouring molten metal according to claim 1, wherein a stopper is provided in the proximity of the pouring basin, to which the molten metal is poured, so that peripheral side surface of the ladle is engaged with said stopper when the ladle is brought into the proximity of said pouring basin.

5. An automatic device for ladling, transporting, and pouring molten metal according to claim 1, wherein said framework is supported by a pair of stud means consisting of a stud means pivotally connected to a base of said device at the lower end thereof and another stud means connected to said base structure through a jack in such a manner that the vertical position of said the other stud means can be adjusted by said jack.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,494,631 5/1924 Roberts 222357 XR 1,728,939 9/1929 Konipol ZZZ-35? 1,848,836 3/1932 Polsen 222-357 XR WALTER SOBIN, Primary Examiner. 

